Solving the functional enigmas of the Hsp90 chaperone machinery with single-molecule resolution. [ Solve90 ]

Proteins constitute the molecular machines in our cells. However, many of them would be non-functional without the help of the cell’s master chaperone, Hsp90, which turns them into functional entities. Surprisingly, despite this central role, we still don’t understand how this Hsp90 actually works. We will therefore use new technology to elucidate the relevant small scale of individual molecules. We will test how Hsp90 is energetically powered, how it treats the other proteins, and how it coordinates its necessary helper proteins. Our research will provide a currently missing molecular-level understanding of Hsp90 and thus inform the development of cancer therapeutics.